Step 1: Diagnose the Problem Equipment Needed

There are few common problems which can cause an electric ride-on toy to quit working. A volt meter will be needed but you won’t need an expensive meter.

Step 2: Testing the Batteries and Connections.

Check 6 volt or 12 volt batteries 6 volt fully charged should read 6 plus volts 12 volt should read 12volts plus. You also want to check the terminals inside the connectors battery side and vehicle side. I had a customer who had a 12 volt John Deere back hole tractor, the battery and charger were both checked out good but he could not get the tractor to work. There was corrosion in one of the connectors preventing the battery from making contact.

Step 3: Testing Throttle or Foot Pedal Switch

On the throttle switch you can use the multi meter using the added chart in pic. The foot peddle switch you can disconnect and jump the connection on the switch I use a paper clip, if the motor starts turning once you jump the connection you know it’s the pedal switch. Two more switches on the vehicles are your forward/reverse and fast/slow switches. If your vehicle won’t run or only runs slow or wont only goes forward or reverse. These switches could be the problem. All replacement parts are available online.

Step 4: Checking Controller and Motor

The easiest way to test the controller is once the batteries and switches have been determined to be good turn the throttle or press the pedal switch. If you hear a clicking sound the controller is most likely bad. You can also test it with the voltmeter. Testing the motor is done by disconnecting it from the controller and hook up 6 or 12 volt charger to it and make sure it turns.

Step 5: Replacing the Battery Charger or Battery

The two main manufacturers of electric ride-on toys are Power Wheels and Peg Perego, make sure which one you have and the voltage (6/12 v )when ordering parts. The connections on these batteries are made to manufactures specs. But that doesn’t mean you have to use their batteries, you can undo the casing and remove the plug connections. Some times the clips are soldered on but not every time. You can take them apart and reuse the plugs, just identify the positive and negative cables. If you have to replace the terminals you can mark them yourself . When replacing the battery charger with the one in the pick you just have to make contact with the metal clips in the connector (pos. To pos. Neg to neg.)

Step 6: Changing the Battery and Vehicle Swicth

You can cut off the connectors one leads from the battery and connects to the vehicle connector. If you are going to use a universal charger instead of the one that came with the vehicle you can connect to the metal clips inside of the connector (pos to pos. neg. to neg. ) .If you are going to use a different battery then the manufacture reuse the battery connector or cut off the manufactures battery charger connector and replace with the universal metal clips which will connect on the new battery.

Step 7: Drill Drainage Holes

The biggest problem after batteries going bad is shorted switches, The main problem is these ride ons are not waterproof, if they are washed or rained on they won’t drain properly. Even if you have a brand new ride on the biggest tip I can give is drill drain holes. Under pedal switch gear switch speed switch even the battery compartment.

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30 Discussions

The cover of my ride on blew off in the night and it was rained on (the battery wasn’t in it) and now won’t start. If the charger is plugged straight into the car (rather than the charger) the ignition light turns on and then when the charger is turned off and the ignition turns on the lights flash but other than that nothing. No lights turn on when the charger is plugged directly into the battery. Is there anyway this car can be fixed??

Sounds like you may have a bad connection on the battery plug and or the charger plug. By getting rain on it, it may have caused some corrosion. If you have a small file or some sandpaper and clean the connections.Could be trouble between the charger and battery seems like your battery isn’t charging. If you have a volt meter check the battery it should read 12 plus or 6 plus volts depending on which battery you have. Also with the charger plugged in check with the volt meter make sure it’s putting out the correct voltage 6 or 12.

Many thanks for your quick reply. Now, the lights and music work but the car does not move forward. Initially it did slightly and slowly in a chug chug motion but now I can just here a clicking sound which happens at the same as the dashboard lights flashing on and off with the clicking. You write in your article that this sounds like the controller but I am not sure what you mean by that? Thanks.

Bought a 12v jeep wrangler everything working but music stopped after my other half connected her phone using the aux socket ? Could this of blown the circuit board for the music ? I can hear the speaker poppin when volume knob is turned on and up

My son got this ride on car i don't know the maker brand or anything but everything turns on light music horn but it won't run i got it a new battery and charger beacuse when he first got nothing on it would work i connected the motor cable to the battery and the run but the car won't go if u step on the paddle i hear a click i got it to work once but thats it i know that the previous child that owen it messed around with the wires and all but have no idea if he pulled on out or mess something up please help my toddler wants to ride it so bad he don't understand it won't run thanks.

Ok thanks but now it runs when it wants to only with the switch on slow it clicks on fast wont run sometimes its stops working and i just shits the gears foward and reverse and fast and slow and it will run most of the time should i replace all the buttons or it would be a specific one

This is the fast and slow switch i don't know the maker sorry a friend gave it to my son and it was not working when she gave it to me i bought a new battery and charger for it its running on slow for now but it stops work completely when it wants to all i hear is a clicking sound coming from the wiring box then i just mess with the foward reverse and fast and slow and it works again its so weird sorry for the trouble

One thing you can check on also this is one of the latest model and they have a r/c control over ride and manual. When the r/c switch is flip it will only work in slow speed. Not sure where the switch on this model is ,maybe by the power. If you can find a owner manual that might help.

The fast and slow switch is under the shifter or on the dash. The forward / reverse and fast/ slow are identical. They will be mounted under the shifter or on the side, the problem with these switches is when they get wet or corroded. If you see some corrosion on the plug in tabs when you disconnect the wring you can try sanding them and they may work without removing them completely.You have to disconnect the wiring from the switches and then there are a couple of tabs on the sides. You push the tabs in and push up to remove them. If they are under the shifter you have to take it apart. Take a pic of the position they are in before taking them and and replace the same way. There are a couple of good videos on YouTube to give you a visual how to remove them.

Could be a couple problems the peddle switch could be bad or the forward reverse switch could be bad . You will need only a Phillip and flat head screwdriver. The pedal switch will need to be taken out to test look under the car to see if you see any screws by the pedal area if not you will need to remove it from the top side.You will notice where it sit there should be some slits where you can slide the flat head screw driver to help pull it up.Turn it over there will be a long Phillip screw which you need to take out and also the wires plugged into the switch. Once everything is disconnected there are two tabs to to push in and remove it from the top. There are 2 different switches one is larger then the other, you will need to figure out which one you have and can order a new one on eBay. If you are handy with a volt meter you can test it .The next switches will be under the forward reverse shift. Same way look for Phillip screw or slits to pull the shifter out under there will be two switches one for forward reverse and one of slow fast. Again if you have a volt meter you can test them and find new ones on eBay or from the manufacturer. The first two pics are the pedal switches and the last is the gear and speed switch.